Georgia has 2 coronavirus cases. How is Middle Georgia preparing? | Macon Telegraph

Middle Georgia officials said public agencies here are working together and advising residents to take preventative measures like thoroughly washing hands after two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Georgia earlier this week.

Area schools, governments, hospitals, military installations and others are taking precautions against the disease which has killed at least 11 in the United States as of Wednesday. One lived in California, and the remaining 10 lived in Washington state, NBC News reports.

Risks to residents in Middle Georgia and throughout the state remain low at this time, local and state health officials said.

Georgia’s cases

On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey and other state officials confirmed two Fulton County residents tested positive for the disease.

The two people live in the same household, and one of them returned from Italy, where there’s an ongoing outbreak. Both have mild symptoms, and they are isolated at home with other relatives to prevent the illness from spreading, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Kemp said state health officials are working to gather more information.

“We knew that Georgia would likely have confirmed cases of COVID-19, and we planned for it. The immediate risk of COVID-19 to the general public, however, remains low at this time,” Toomey said.

Health agencies and Macon-Bibb government

Michael Hokanson, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health’s North Central Health District, said they, along with area governments, schools and other agencies, are working to safeguard residents’ health through “mitigation and education.” The district covers several Middle Georgia counties, including Bibb, Houston, Jones, Peach and others.

While COVID-19’s risk to Middle Georgia remains low at this time, the health district is examining its own pandemic flu plans, infection control procedures and respiratory illness plans to prepare in the event of an outbreak, Hokanson said.

“That doesn’t mean don’t prepare for it,” he said. “We want to make sure people have the education to prevent the spread should it further affect Georgia.”

Little things, like washing your hands for 20 seconds or more, properly covering sneezes and coughs, and staying home if you’re sick, are important preventative measures, Hokanson said.

“There’s no vaccine. There’s no treatment,” he said. “We are making sure people know the steps they can take to help curb the spread of not just COVID-19 but any illness. It’s the little things that people don’t think about until they need to think about it.”

It’s also important that residents get information on COVID-19 from legitimate sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization, Hokanson said.

“With a (new) strain of anything, it presents an opportunity for misinformation to proliferate,” he said. “Make sure you are going to trusted sources.”

Macon-Bibb County is posting CDC signs to reinforce the importance of proper handwashing, disinfecting surfaces and other health precautions in public places like bathrooms, entry and exit doors, and recreation centers, said spokesperson Chris Floore.

The county’s Emergency Management Agency hosted a meeting Tuesday with school officials, health department representatives and other stakeholders to discuss COVID-19 preparations.

“What we’re hearing from health officials is … the best way to slow the spread and the things we can do now are these preventative measures,” he said. “It’s about reinforcement and trying to remind people over and over again.”

Bibb Schools

Custodial and maintenance staff in all Bibb County school buildings are being supplied with a hospital-type disinfectant. Extended measures like sanitizing high-touch areas in schools like doorknobs and desktops in addition to daily, routine cleaning are in place, according to a news release from the district.

All schools are also required to ensure soap is in all bathrooms, and hand-sanitizing stations are being installed through the district, according to the release.

Robins Air Force Base

Officials at Robins Air Force Base are working with state and federal health officials to obtain information about COVID-19 and guidelines on how to control the illness.

“We are concerned about the current situation involving the Coronavirus and are taking the necessary precautions to meet this threat,” said Col. Brian Moore, 78th Air Base Wing Installation Commander, in a statement. “We have convened emergency management representatives from all of the base organizations to do prudent planning to implement Force Health Protection actions. We are also looking at additional actions that we may take as the situation changes.”

Coliseum Medical Centers and Coliseum Northside Hospital

Coliseum Medical Centers and Northside Hospital have not received any patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, but visitors will be screened and visitation will be limited, according to a hospital news release.

“We are grateful that we’ve not seen impact locally of this new coronavirus, COVID-19. Our goal is to take every precaution to keep our patients, our caregivers and our community safe by avoiding any spread of this virus should it come into our community,” said Coliseum Health System CEO Stephen J. Daugherty, in a statement.

As of March 4, the hospital will be limiting public entrances to the ER and the main entrance. Greeters will ask visitors a few basic questions to make sure people who might spread the virus get the care they need without exposing patients, staff and other guests.

Visitation will be limited to guests over the age of 12 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. According to the hospital, you should not visit if you:

• Have a fever

• Have a cough or shortness of breath and have traveled outside the US in the past 14 days

• Have had direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Navicent Health

Following guidelines from the Department of Public Health, Navicent has been and will continue to screen patients to identify people who could be carrying COVID-19, said Dr. Sanford Duke, Navicent’s Chief Clinical Officer.

“If an individual is identified, that person will be isolated in a controlled environment, and we will inform and work closely with our partners at the Department of Public Health while performing additional tests and providing care,” he said.

In response to the flu, Navicent implemented its annual youth visitation policy which prevents children under the age of 12 from visiting Navicent Health hospitals. That policy is still in effect and serves as an additional layer of protection against COVID-19, Duke said.

Macon Transit Authority

The Macon Transit Authority is disinfecting its transfer station and buses on a regular basis as part of its COVID-19 precautions, according to a department news release.

The transit authority’s transfer station was disinfected Wednesday morning and will continue to be disinfected nearly every two hours during operation. Each bus is cleaned with a high-power commercial disinfectant at the transfer station following each route. After operating hours are over, the inside of the bus is sprayed with a disinfectant, according to the release.

Drivers disinfect their area on the bus at the beginning and end of every shift. Drivers have surgical gloves which they use to assist passengers, and the drivers also have a supply of liquid hand sanitizer and wipes for themselves and the interior of the bus, the transit authority said.

The transit authority has also placed posters on the bus promoting good health practices such as proper handwashing, staying home when you are sick and properly covering sneezes and coughs, according to the news release.

Fairview Park Hospital

Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin announced it would limit entrances and screen visitors as well, starting Wednesday. According to a press release, the hospital hasn’t had any patients test positive for COVID-19, but staff are implementing special precautions to inhibit spread of the coronavirus if it comes to Dublin-Laurens County.

The hospital will limit public entrances to the ER, main entrance and same-day surgery entrance, according to a release. Greeters will screen visitors. Individuals with a fever; who have a cough or shortness of breath and have traveled outside of the U.S. in the past 14 days; or have had direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 are asked not to visit the hospital.

What are the symptoms and the latest stats?

State health officials said symptoms of the illness appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing.

“Those considered at risk for contracting the virus are individuals with travel to areas where there are ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 or individuals in close contact with a person infected with COVID-19,” according to the governor’s news release earlier this week.

As of March 3, the World Health Organization reported 90,870 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed globally. More than 80,000 were in China. COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

The state Department of Public Health recommends residents taking the following steps:

▪ Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

▪ Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

▪ Stay home when you are sick.

▪ Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

▪ Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

▪ If you have recently traveled to areas where there are ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 and develop fever with cough and shortness of breath within fourteen days of your travel, or if you have had contact with someone who is suspected to have COVID-19, stay home and call your health care provider or local health department right away. Be sure to call before going to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.

▪ It’s not too late for a flu shot. The flu is still widespread in Georgia. While the flu shot will not protect against COVID-19, it will prevent serious complications that require hospitalization and prevent overburdening the health care system in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.